The festering feud between Gov. Ron DeSantis and Disney shifted to the courts this week, in a move the governor slammed as “political” and “without merit.”
Mostly silent on the issue for the past year, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts on Wednesday filed a federal lawsuit arguing its First Amendment rights were violated and business harmed by a “relentless campaign” of retribution orchestrated by DeSantis and other officials.
The 77-page lawsuit alleged the governor and his allies targeted the entertainment giant over its opposition to a controversial 2022 law. The legislation — named “Parental Rights in Education” by supporters and given the moniker “don’t say gay” by critics — restricts instruction about sexual orientation and gender identity in schools.
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The legal challenge came after a series of changes that included replacing the Reedy Creek Improvement District board. Disney for decades had effectively controlled the district, which gave it power over issues such as land use, fire protection and sewer services that are typically handled by local governments.
Lawmakers in February approved a measure that renamed the Reedy Creek district as the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District and gave DeSantis power to appoint the district’s board.
The Legislature and the new board have acted to nullify development agreements involving Disney that were approved by the former Reedy Creek board.
Disney contended in the lawsuit that it has made repeated efforts to de-escalate the dispute, and that the company had no choice but to fight back in court amid what it characterized as a bid by DeSantis to “weaponize government power.”
“Disney finds itself in this regrettable position because it expressed a viewpoint the governor and his allies did not like,” the lawsuit said. “Disney wishes that things could have been resolved a different way. But Disney also knows that it is fortunate to have the resources to take a stand against the state’s retaliation — a stand smaller businesses and individuals might not be able to take when the state comes after them for expressing their own views.”
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The governor addressed the issue during a press conference in Israel on Thursday.
“I think it’s political,” DeSantis said. “I think they filed (the lawsuit) in Tallahassee for a reason, because they’re trying to generate some district-court decision. But we’re very confident on the law.”
The governor also said the special district allowed Disney to be treated differently than Universal, SeaWorld and other theme parks, and now “they’re upset because they’re actually having to live by the same rules as everybody else.”
“They don’t want to have to pay the same taxes as everybody else,” he added. “And they want to be able to control things without proper oversight, whereas every other Floridian has to have this type of oversight, all Florida businesses. So, it’s a little bit much to be complaining about that.”
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